Approval rates
Judge Duncan maintains a lifetime approval rate of 77% based on 2,890 total decisions. When comparing recent performance to broader benchmarks, this judge currently trends 19 percentage points above the Tacoma office average and 19 points above the national average of 58%. These figures provide a statistical snapshot of the judge's history on the bench. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
Office- and national-level breakdowns of fully favorable vs denial rates aren't currently published by SSA in the per-office disposition data. The judge's own breakdown is the detail we have today.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Duncan's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Over a two-year tenure, Judge Duncan has demonstrated a consistent approach to disability claims. The yearly trend shows an approval rate of 79% in 2016, followed by 70% in 2017. This shift reflects an adjustment in the judge's recent decision-making volume. The data indicates that while the rate has evolved, it remains above the local and national norms. This pattern suggests a judge who carefully weighs the evidentiary requirements of each file.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Duncan's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
Hearing with Judge Duncan? Free, confidential — see if you qualify for SSDI.
Free Benefits ReviewAbout the Tacoma hearing office
The Tacoma Hearing Office serves you throughout Washington and the surrounding region. It is one of several offices managing a high volume of disability cases, with an office-wide latest approval rate of 58%. You can expect a formal administrative process focused on your medical documentation and vocational testimony. You can see the Tacoma Hearing Office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Social Security Administration assigns cases to judges using a workload-balancing algorithm, meaning you cannot choose your judge. At the Tacoma Hearing Office, the bench consists of 6 judges whose lifetime approval rates range from 31% to 77%. This variance highlights that the specific judge assigned to your hearing is a variable outside of your control. You can find more information on the Tacoma Hearing Office page.
Your odds change dramatically with a lawyer
SSDI hearing approval rates — represented vs. on your own
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.